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An artistic renegade celebrated

8/10/2008

THE first exhibition for more than 40 years to focus on the work of legendary English painter William Holman Hunt comes to Manchester Art Gallery from Saturday.

It’s called Holman Hunt and the Pre-Raphael Vision, centring on Hunt who, together with Sir John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti among others, formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848.

They were the artistic renegades of their day. Their intention was to reform art, away from the classical poses and compositions of Raphael that they believed had been a corrupting influence on academic art teaching.

They wanted to return to the wealth of detail, intense colours and complex compositions of Italian and Flemish art, and created a distinct style of their own as a result.

Manchester Art Gallery has always had splendid examples of Pre-Raphaelite work, including key painting The Hireling Shepherd.

The exhibition, however, builds on this by featuring more than 30 significant works by Hunt, many on loan from public galleries and private collections from around the UK. In this latter category is The Awakening Conscience and Isabella and the Pot of Basil.

On loan to this exhibition are two rare examples of Hunt’s most famous work, The Light of the World, from St Paul’s Cathedral, London and Keble College, Oxford.

For the first time ever, these iconic artworks are exhibited together, alongside a small version of the work from Manchester Art Gallery’s own collection.

The exhibition explores the remarkable story behind The Light of the World and considers how it became the best-known religious image of the Victorian era, tracing a tour of the painting to countries across the British Empire in the early 1900s.

Using photographs, newspaper reports and carefully documented records, displays reveal how it was seen by an astonishing seven million people during its tour – making it the most viewed painting in the world.

Hunt’s career and the story of his personal life are also showcased here. A selection of the artist’s oil paintings, drawings and watercolours are displayed alongside a range of historical materials including maps, photographs, diary entries and letters that provide a context for Hunt’s work.

The exhibition also considers Hunt’s artistic beginnings as a rebellious young student at the Royal Academy and his key involvement in the establishment of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

There is also the chance to explore Hunt’s repeated visits to the Holy Land, including his residence in Jerusalem.

Displays reveal a number of his most important religious works, when Hunt strove to create historically accurate depictions of Biblical scenes by painting Jewish models in contemporary costume set in authentic Middle Eastern locations.

The resulting artworks include the Finding of the Saviour in the Temple and The Shadow of Death.

Holman Hunt and the Pre-Raphael Vision runs at Manchester Art Gallery until January 11, 2009.